Exchange setup & POP migration questions - PLEASE???

Hello,
I am doing research for a couple of small business that would like to have
exchange installed. I've already installed Win2k servers with ADC so I know
installing Exchange will not be a problem. I do not have Exchange to play
with and test (as I cannot afford it right now).

Currently, they have web sites & mail (SMTP & POP3) servers that are hosted
by public commercial hosts. They would like Exchange as it offers the
ability to backup *all* of thier corporate mail using their existing
maintenance infrastructure. Two requirements exist:
1. They wish to use Microsoft Outlook as their mail client.
2. They wish to access (send/recieve) mail from outside of the organization
(much like they do with the commercial hosts POP3/SMTP servers)?

What I've researched so far leads me to believe that using the current
commercial host's POP3/SMTP servers AND an internal Exchange server is
redundant. Is this in fact true?

What I've researched so far leads me to believe that the commercial host can
add MX records that forwards mail to the Exchange server using the IP
address the client uses to access thier ISP. To this I have four questions:
1. Is this in fact true?
2. If so, what happens if the ISP assigned IP address changes?
3. How can a user send/recieve corporate mail from outside their
organization (this is a MUST HAVE requirement)? It would seem that the user
would need to log in to their corporate network via VPN or some other
solution - is this true?
4. Without the commercial host's POP server, what happens to mail when the
Exchange server is down (i.e. power failure at corporate site)?

They also have more than one office (and Win2K networks at each) - should
they install Exchange at each site?

Can anyone offer suggestions with respect to a solution that meets my
clients needs? I **really** need the work (not much $ coming in these days)
and I would like to offer a solution?

Thank you all in advance for your assistance.

Patrick
Tue Jan 20 06:06:21 CST 2004

Hi,

I will attempt to answer your questions in order.

1. Yes having both would be redundant.
2. The Public MX Record should not be changed after it is created. If it
does it will be propagated through the Public DNS. It is best to have a
Static IP assigned to the Exchange Server itself.
3. The best solution to being able to send and receive mail while outside
the Domain is using OWA. The second would be to setup a VPN tunnel to
Exchange.
4. The mail will sit on the Server that is sending it until a connection can
be made or until it times out thus sending an NDR to the sender.
5. The answer to this question depends on how they are setup and what type
of connection they have between the sites.

Hope this helps,
--
Patrick Genova
Pgenova@online.microsoft.com
Please do not send mail directly to this alias. This alias is for Newsgroup
purposes only.
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

"innovate2000" <innovate_@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:Ox4zzaw3DHA.1816@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> Hello,
> I am doing research for a couple of small business that would like to have
> exchange installed. I've already installed Win2k servers with ADC so I
know
> installing Exchange will not be a problem. I do not have Exchange to play
> with and test (as I cannot afford it right now).
>
> Currently, they have web sites & mail (SMTP & POP3) servers that are
hosted
> by public commercial hosts. They would like Exchange as it offers the
> ability to backup *all* of thier corporate mail using their existing
> maintenance infrastructure. Two requirements exist:
> 1. They wish to use Microsoft Outlook as their mail client.
> 2. They wish to access (send/recieve) mail from outside of the
organization
> (much like they do with the commercial hosts POP3/SMTP servers)?
>
> What I've researched so far leads me to believe that using the current
> commercial host's POP3/SMTP servers AND an internal Exchange server is
> redundant. Is this in fact true?
>
> What I've researched so far leads me to believe that the commercial host
can
> add MX records that forwards mail to the Exchange server using the IP
> address the client uses to access thier ISP. To this I have four
questions:
> 1. Is this in fact true?
> 2. If so, what happens if the ISP assigned IP address changes?
> 3. How can a user send/recieve corporate mail from outside their
> organization (this is a MUST HAVE requirement)? It would seem that the
user
> would need to log in to their corporate network via VPN or some other
> solution - is this true?
> 4. Without the commercial host's POP server, what happens to mail when the
> Exchange server is down (i.e. power failure at corporate site)?
>
> They also have more than one office (and Win2K networks at each) - should
> they install Exchange at each site?
>
> Can anyone offer suggestions with respect to a solution that meets my
> clients needs? I **really** need the work (not much $ coming in these
days)
> and I would like to offer a solution?
>
> Thank you all in advance for your assistance.
>
>